Should the shifting arm move this much?

[franziskaner]

Hey all, first time, long time.

So I was screwing around troubleshooting something else but when I moved the gear selector, I was surprised to see the shifting arm move laterally at all let alone this much: http://sdrv.ms/119cBnT. Go to 19s.

There aren't any other symptoms that I know of, but if this is causing any one of several problems with the car, then what's usually the culprit? Checking out RealOEM, it looks like "Bearing, shifting arm" and a combination of "Bearing bolt" and "Bearing sleeve, round" locate the shifting arm. Something you would fix or let it go?

It also looks like I'm missing the boot. Does it serve a purpose? Worth getting one?

Thanks,

Nate
'88 ix

[jlevie]

The shifter will tighten up is you replace all of the bushings in it. The boot should be present and its purpose is to provide a seal between the cabin and the underside of the car. Replace it when you rebuild the shifter.

[franziskaner]

Awesome, thank you.